Thomas was born with a severe to profound hearing loss in his right ear. Thank God for newborn hearing screenings. At 6 months, he was diagnosed with EVA/LVAS and began to lose his hearing in his left ear. The hearing in his left ear has fluctuated since diagnosis, but he has a wonderful team of specialists helping him to listen and speak. This is his story -- as told by his mom, one of his biggest fans.

CI Activation

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

A Simple Question...

Cook Children's Rehab is doing a promotion during Rehab Week. So, the cert-AVTs asked parents to answer one simple question and provide a photograph of their child.

The question was this:

What are some accomplishments your child has made/done by having a cochlear implant you thought he/she would never do?

I thought about this question long and hard for several days. While the question seemed quite straightforward, I struggled with defining Thomas' accomplishments without writing a diatribe. I couldn't pinpoint "some accomplishments" without those accomplishments leading to ten others.

So, here is what I wrote:

Following activation just over 3-years ago, we had one simple goal for Thomas. Sean and I wanted Thomas to be a typical child. Today, he is that typical child and so much more. He is a 4-year old that loves to argue with his sister, thrives on negotiating nearly everything, adores going to school and learning new things, holds many friendships dear to his heart, and wants to play every possible sport. So, his greatest accomplishment is being "normal." No, he is exceptional, just with bionic ears.

About Me

I am a stay-at-home mom to two wonderful little kiddos. Sidney is 9, going on 17, and a hearing child. Thomas is a rough and tumble 3-year old that is deaf in one ear and hard of hearing in the other ear. This blog is for my friends and family to keep up on Thomas' progress, but ultimately it is for Thomas. I want to chronicle how hard he works and all the strides that he makes in his battle to listen and speak.